Kindertransport – The Arrival

You are standing in Hope Square, directly in front of the bronze sculpture known as Kindertransport – The Arrival. This memorial honors the approximately ten thousand children who escaped Nazi persecution by traveling to Britain between December 1938 and September 1939. Liverpool Street Station served as the primary gateway for these refugees, who arrived here from Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia to meet foster families and embark on new, uncertain lives. The sculpture was created by artist Frank Meisler, who was himself one of these children. Meisler was evacuated from the Free City of Danzig and carried his own traumatic memories of forced separation into his work. The figures represent the mix of bewilderment, nervousness, and hope that these young travelers felt upon reaching the station. Look closely at the base of the sculpture; the children are standing on a bronze section of railway track, which is inscribed with the names of the cities they left behind. This work is part of a larger network of five memorials designed by Meisler that span across Europe. These interconnected statues trace the path of the children from their departure points in places like Hamburg and Gdansk, through cities like Berlin, to their eventual arrival here in London. While the others represent the pain of leaving, this station marks the point where the long, lonely journey ended and the reality of life as a refugee began. By mapping this route in bronze, the memorials connect the history of survival to the deep, lingering ache of family separation.